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Joan Shawlee

Conquest Of Space (1955) by George Pal, starring Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming

Conquest Of Space

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Conquest Of Space (1955) by George Pal, starring Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming

CONQUEST OF SPACE introduces a group of men brought together to construct an innovative robot to explore the depths of Mars. Located on a space wheel 500 miles above the Earth, commander Samuel Merritt (Walter Brooke) and his men (including Eric Fleming and Benson Fong) struggle to complete the mission when aggression within the group begins to surface.

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The Reluctant Astronaut, starring Don Knotts and Leslie Nielsen

The Reluctant Astronaut

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The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) starring Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen

 Don Knotts takes his ‘nervous fraidy-cat’ character to outer space (or at least to orbit) in this funny, family-friendly comedy.  The Reluctant Astronaut begins with Roy Fleming (Don Knotts in the title role) appearing to be in a space capsule orbiting the Earth. Until the camera zooms out, and reveals that instead he’s operating a kiddie ride at an amusement park.  Once the ride is over, he leaves the ride (with the help of the actor who played one of the ‘old men’ on the Andy Griffith Show). In order to demonstrate to the audience that Don Knotts’ character has a severe fear of heights.  On his break, he asks one of his fellow employees at the amusement park for a date. And after much begging, she reluctantly agrees.  His normal day at work is interrupted by an urgent call from his mother, causing him to dash home.

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